One of Arsenal's worst captains of all-time just told William Saliba to 'step up'

William Gallas is not remembered fondly by Arsenal fans, not just because he went on to play for Tottenham, but because he threw his toys out of the pram and sat down on the pitch rather than fulfilling his captain's duties in a cup final.

In a hilarious full circle moment, the guy who once sat has just told William Saliba that he needs to step up. While recognising he plays better for Arsenal than France, Gallas affirmed that he is still waiting for Saliba to step up for France. He also said that there is still room for improvement in an Arsenal jersey, considering he is still capable of making mistakes.

William Gallas tells William Saliba to step up

In his own words, Gallas said "William Saliba is fantastic for Arsenal, he’s had a great season. He still makes some silly mistakes, like against Atletico Madrid, and he can still improve."

"In France, Saliba doesn’t have the same top performances for the team. It might be because he doesn’t have the same players and system around him, but he needs to step up. I’m waiting for him to step up for France."

It feels a bit unfair to critique William Saliba's role in the French squad, considering it's still a relatively new one. Saliba has only just made 30 appearances for France, and he is by no means a senior figure in the squad.

Yes, if Arsenal win the double like they aim to do, then Saliba will be turned into a figure of prominence in the France squad. He will be the guy that leads the charge, but to put that pressure on him when he's only won a Community Shield to date is unfair.

William Saliba has never sat down in protest while captaining his side

No matter which way you flip the coin, it's hilarious that this advice is coming from William Gallas. Gallas has credentials with being a French legend and making a World Cup final with them, but the credentials to tell a player to step up are immediately discredited when you consider how he treated his Arsenal captaincy.

In 2008, Arsenal lost the Carling Cup final to Birmingham. William Gallas was the captain of the day and after the loss, which remains one of the most shameful days in Arsenal's history, Gallas sat on the pitch and acted holier than thou.

Arsenal were top of the Premier League heading into the Carling Cup final, but many reference this moment, which was heightened by Gallas sitting down in protest, as being the turning point which saw them lose the Premier League that season.

For context, it would have been identical to Bukayo Saka (captain on the day) sitting down when Man City scored their second in this year's cup final. Could you imagine the uproar?

Back in 2008, Gallas didn't go in the tunnel and fire up his teammates (they were still in a title race at the time!), but instead, he acted like he was above Arsenal.

So, Saliba, do not take notes. Sitting down in protest is not what stepping up looks like. Ironically, it is quite literally the opposite.

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